Charity Oga-Omenka

Research interests

Dr. Oga-Omenka's research addresses health equity and access in infectious disease, with a focus on tuberculosis (TB) care-seeking, public-private mix in healthcare delivery, and antimicrobial stewardship. She uses mixed methods approaches, including qualitative inquiry, health systems analysis and tool development, to understand and reduce barriers to care for underserved populations in Nigeria, Indonesia, India and Canada. Her work on the Patient Care-Seeking Journey Analysis (PJA) has been formally recognized in the WHO TB Compendium (2nd edition, 2026). She also leads research on gender-based violence and its intersections with TB and HIV.

Graduate supervision and student opportunities 

Dr. Oga-Omenka is not actively recruiting graduate students at this time. Prospective students with a strong interest in global TB research, health equity or antimicrobial stewardship can reach out to inquire about future opportunities at cogaomenka@uwaterloo.ca.

Graduate studies application details

Teaching, expertise, tools and technologies 

• Qualitative research methods
• Social determinants of health
• Mixed methods
• Globalization and health 

• TB care-seeking and patient journey analysis

• Health equity frameworks

• Mixed methods TB tool development

Education

B.Pharm, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, Nigeria

MPH, University of the Western Cape, Capetown, South Africa

PhD, Public Health (option Global Health), University of Montreal

PDF, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University

Roles and recognition

• Member, WHO TB Public-Private Mix Steering Committee
• Co-Chair, 2026 Canadian Conference on Global Health (CCGH 2026, Montreal, October 16–18)
• WHO TB Compendium (2nd edition, 2026) — Patient Journey Analysis tool recognized
• WomenLift Health Leadership Journey alumna, 2023 North America Cohort
• Principal Investigator, Health Equity and Access Research Lab (HEAR Lab)

Selected publications

See Google Scholar for full list of publications.

• Oga-Omenka, C., Rabvukwa, A., Chijioke-Akaniro, O., Mwirigi, N., & Pai, M. (2026). Understanding where people with tuberculosis seek care to serve them better. The Lancet, 407(10536), 1310-1313.
• Oga-Omenka, C., Klinton, J. S., Ku, D., Heitkamp, P., Aderonke, V. A., Morita, P. P., & Dodd, W. (2026). Implementation of digital tuberculosis information systems: perspectives from 10 high TB burden countries. BMC Infectious Diseases.
• Mehrabi, F., Pomeroy, M. L., Hoogendijk, E. O., Cudjoe, T. K., Oremus, M., Bandeen-Roche, K., & Oga-Omenka, C. (2026). Rethinking health-care systems to tackle social isolation and frailty. The Lancet Public Health, 11(5), e343-e348.
• Mahdi, Aaya, Sarah Pascale Ngassa Detchaptche, Joel Shyam Klinton, Nnakelu Eriobu, Blessing Uche, Nawal Maredia, Charity Oga-Omenka, and Giorgia Sulis (2026). Barriers and facilitators to antibiotic stewardship in Nigeria’s private healthcare sector: A qualitative interview study with national health and regulatory interest holders. PLOS Global Public Health 6, no. 1, e0005731.
• Oga-Omenka, C., Sassi, A., Aguilera Vasquez, N., Rana, N., Essar, M. Y., Ku, D., ... & Pai, M. (2025). A methodological review of patient healthcare-seeking journeys from symptom onset to receipt of care. BMJ Global Health, 10(5), e016978.
• Brubacher, L. J., Oga-Omenka, C., Beggs, B., Bustos, M., Heitkamp, P., Morita, P. P., & Dodd, W. (2026). Profiling digital technologies used to support the tuberculosis care cascade and their implementation across high burden countries: A systematic scoping review. Digital Health, 12, 20552076251410991.
• Oga-Omenka, C., Rosapep, L., Baruwa, E., Huria, L., Vasquez, N.A., Faleye, B.O., & Pai, M. (2024). Individual journeys to tuberculosis care in Nigeria's private sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Global Health, 9(1), e013124.
• Huria, L., Lestari, B.W., Saptiningrum, E., Fikri, A.R., Oga-Omenka, C., et al. (2024). Care pathways of individuals with tuberculosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bandung, Indonesia. PLOS Global Public Health, 4(1), e0002251.
• Sassi, A., Lestari, B.W., El Muna, K.U.N., Oga-Omenka, C., et al. (2024). Impact of COVID-19 on quality of tuberculosis care in private facilities in Bandung, Indonesia. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 102.
• Elsevier. Mannan, S., Oga-Omenka, C., ThekkePurakkal, A. S., Huria, L., Kalra, A., Gandhi, R., ... and Pai, M. (2022). Adaptations to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic by private sector tuberculosis care providers in India. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, 28, 100327.
• Oga-Omenka, C., Tseja-Akinrin, A., Boffa, J., Heitkamp, P., Pai, M., and Zarowsky, C. (2021, June). Commentary: Lessons from the COVID-19 global health response to inform TB case finding. In Healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 2, p. 100487).
• Oga-Omenka, C., Bada, F., Agbaje, A., Dakum, P., Menzies, D., and Zarowsky, C. (2020). Ease and equity of access to free DR-TB services in Nigeria—a qualitative analysis of policies, structures and processes. International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1), 1-13.
• Oga-Omenka, C., Boffa, J., Kuye, J., Dakum, P., Menzies, D., and Zarowsky, C. (2020). Understanding the gaps in DR-TB care Cascade in Nigeria: a sequential mixed-method study. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, 21, 100193.
• Oga-Omenka, C., Tseja-Akinrin, A., Sen, P., Mac-Seing, M., Agbaje, A., Menzies, D., and Zarowsky, C. (2020). Factors influencing diagnosis and treatment initiation for multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in six sub-Saharan African countries: a mixed-methods systematic review. BMJ global health, 5(7), e002280.
• Omenka, C., and Zarowsky, C. (2013). ‘No one knows what will happen after these five years’: narratives of ART, access and agency in Nigeria. Global Health Promotion, 20(1_suppl), 45-50